UW-Whitewater’s American Marketing Association Wins 14th Consecutive International Chapter of the Year Title

Written by Gracie Weston

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (UWW) is excited to announce that its American Marketing Association (AMA) chapter has secured the title of International Chapter of the Year for the 14th consecutive year. This prestigious award recognizes the outstanding achievements, leadership, and impact of collegiate AMA chapters around the world, and reflects UWW AMA’s continued commitment to excellence, innovation, and professional development.

Against the vibrant backdrop of this year’s AMA International Collegiate Conference (ICC) in New Orleans—held April 3–5 and themed “Evolve”—students from across the globe gathered to explore growth, innovation, and the ever-changing landscape of marketing. UWW proudly had twenty-eight student members and five faculty advisors in attendance, representing the university’s American Marketing Association chapter on the international stage. Throughout the conference, attendees immersed themselves in transformative workshops, competitive challenges, chapter development sessions, and high-energy networking events designed to propel the next generation of marketers forward.

In addition to winning Chapter of the Year, UWW AMA collected numerous other honors including: Best Recruitment Video by Finn Hartnett (BBA Marketing ‘24), an AMA Foundation Diversity Leadership Scholarship awarded to Rafa Alvarez-Reyes (Junior, Marketing BBA), top 10 in the website competition designed by Caden Kretsinger (Junior, Management BBA), 4th place in social impact video by Kylie Bilello (Senior, Management BBA) and Rafa Alvarez-Reyes, and 4th place in the Marketing Week competition submitted by former AMA President Gracie Hughes (Senior, Marketing BBA).

Rafa Alvarez-Reyes, UWW AMA Chapter Co-President, explained, “One of my favorite parts of AMA is that it really feels like you're part of a company, and that you get to do things you’ll do as a professional but in a college setting with all your best friends. But obviously with that comes stressful days and late nights. So it was a really rewarding moment to keep hearing the emcee call UW-Whitewater’s name during the awards ceremonies, and especially so when it was announced that we won Chapter of the Year. It really symbolized all the hard work that our entire chapter put in to make this year special.”

UWW earned an impressive 2nd place finish in the highly competitive International Case Study Competition, hosted by AMA National in partnership with Adobe Express and Deloitte Digital. Each year, all collegiate AMA chapters receive the same detailed challenge at the beginning of the academic year. This year’s prompt tasked students with developing a strategic marketing plan to increase awareness and adoption of Adobe Express among college students. The UWW team dedicated months to researching, strategizing, and refining their approach, ultimately delivering a polished and creative solution that earned national recognition.

Representing UWW in the final round were Alana Lewis (Junior, Marketing BBA), Brenden Lewandowski (Sophomore, Business Analytics BBA), Kylie Bilello (Senior, Management BBA), Emily Thatcher (Senior, Marketing BBA), and Katelyn Ivie (Senior, Management BBA), alongside their case faculty advisor Lauren Drury (Assistant Professor of Marketing). After submitting a written strategic plan in the fall, the team was selected as one of the top finalists and advanced to present live at the 2025 AMA International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans. Judged by a blind panel of marketing professionals and faculty experts, their work was evaluated across categories such as market research, strategy, tactical implementation, metrics, and presentation quality. When asked about the case team experience, Alana said, “Being a part of the case team is one of the most unique experiences. Having the opportunity to collaborate with other students and create a marketing plan based off of your own research is not something a lot of students can say they had the chance to do. This experience allowed me to grow in so many different ways, and I am thankful I got the chance to represent the team in the final round.” Their 2nd place win reflects not only their marketing acumen but also the months of preparation, collaboration, and hard work that led them to success.

Furthermore, the chapter had a strong showing in the Perfect Pitch Competition, sponsored by Gartner, where students were challenged to deliver a compelling 90-second elevator pitch positioning themselves as the ideal candidate for a job. Participants were judged on creativity, professionalism, alignment with the sponsor’s values, and their ability to communicate concrete qualifications. UWW AMA students made up an impressive 15% of the finalists, a testament to their preparation and communication skills. Notable placements included 8th place by Caden Kretsinger, 7th place by Garrett Dobbertin (Junior, Marketing BBA), 5th place by Alana Lewis, and an outstanding 3rd place finish by Taylor Wojcinski (Sophomore, Marketing BBA).

In the highly competitive sales competition, sponsored by Insight Global, UWW once again proved its strength, sweeping the top two spots in this event. Designed to simulate real-world selling scenarios, the competition challenged students to participate in individual role-play exercises with corporate recruiters acting as buyers. Competitors were tasked with showcasing their ability to build rapport, uncover client needs, and close a sale—all while standing out as talented sales professionals. Garrett Dobbertin earned an impressive 2nd place finish, while Taylor Wojcinski claimed 1st place, demonstrating outstanding preparation, persuasive communication, and natural sales acumen.

This year's ICC marked the last conference for long-time AMA faculty advisors Jimmy Peltier and Dan Herlache. Peltier said, “I am retiring this May and have been Faculty Advisor to AMA dating back to 1986. What a fantastic ride I have been on and what a year to go out on. As I pass into the AMA sunset, I want everyone to know that the 20 years that we won Chapter of the year, including 14 straight, have been a blessing (as have the years we didn’t win) and thank you for the opportunity to lead. UWW is the best, and it’s because of the Whitewater Way.”

More about the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater College of Business and Economics (CoBE):

Wisconsin’s largest business college, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater College of Business and Economics, is home to the #1 ranked online Masters of Business Administration (MBA) program in the State, of single schools. The College of Business and Economics offers a rich breadth of co-curricular activities to enhance student development and learning outcomes. CoBE is in the top 1% of the world’s business schools, earning both AACSB and AACSB Accounting Accreditation (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). For more information on the College of Business and Economics, visit uww.edu/cobe or email cobe@uww.edu.